Rail spike



H. 0, CRIPPEN.

RAIL- SPIKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. II, I920.

1,424,623, Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

' satires stares rarest HERBERT O. CRIPPEN, 0F JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. 7

RAID SPIKE.

T 0 all who m 2'25 may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT O. CRIPPEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail Spikes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a rail spike and has for its primary object the construction of a rail spike including a movable anchoring element so that the spike will be more effectively positioned in the rail tie.

An object of the invention is the novel manner of shaping the anchoring element so that the same will be automatically operated in the driving of the spike.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the connection of the anchoring element with the spike and to provide a more substantial construction so as to withstand the necessary strains in driving the spike.

A feature of my invention is the novel manner in which the anchoring element operates in the driving of the spike so that the tie will be engaged at spaced points thereby positively holding the spike from being accidentally pulled from the tie or moved laterally with relation to the rail.

Besides the above my invention is distinguished in the manner of shaping and positioning the anchoring element so that very little opposition is met with in driving the spike into the tie.

With these and other objects in view the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the spike when partly driven into the tie.

Fig. 2 is a view of the spike when driven into the tie.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spike.

'Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the anchoring element.

Again referring to the drawing illustrating one of the many constructions of my invention the numeral 1 designates a /rail spike of the usual construction with the exception that one side is depressed to provide a pocket 2 and form a rib 3 on the shank 4. The spike may be of the uniform thickness and the rib 3 formed as a projection on the shank. The rib 3 is provided with an arcuate seat 5 for the purpose hereinafter described. The anchoring element 6 is in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

Application filed September 11, 1920.. Serial No. 409,519.

form of a plate to be seated in the pocket and is of a thickness equal to the thickness of the rib thereby giving a perfectly fiat surface to the side of the spike so as not to interfere with the driving of the spike into the tie. This element is provided with a lug 7 fulcrumed on the seat 5 so that the element may swing laterally to engage the tie in an automatic manner hereinafter described. This element consists of a head portion 8 and shank portion 9 that terminates in a penetrating extremity or prong 10. It will be noted that the shank 9 as well as the penetrating prong 1O lies flush with the side of the spike so as to facilitate the initial driving of the spike into the tie. The head portion 8 is of a shape and size to readily swing under the head 11 of the spike and is provided with a cam surface 12 co-acting with the flange 13 of the rail in a manner that the element will be automatically swung about the seat 5 in the driving of the spike for forcing the prong 10 into the fibre of the tie and also a portion of the head 8 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. It will be noted that the head is partly cut away as indicated at 14 so as to facilitate the forcing of the head into the tie. By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that in the forcing of a portion of the head 8 into the tie pressure will be created in a direction to rigidly hold the head of the spike against lateral movement away from the flange 13 whereas the inclination of the shank 6 in the tie positively holds the spike from being accidentally drawn upwardly.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be apparent that I provide a spike of simple, substantial construction that may be manufactured at a relatively low cost and in which the automatic action is such that the spike is positively held against accidental movement in any direction.

It is, of course, to be understood that the particular shape of the rib and the element and their relation may be changed in various manners and, therefore, I do not desire to be limited. in any manner except as set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In combination with a rail spike provided with a rib having a-conveX seat thereon, an anchoring element having a concave portion arranged on the seat for movement and having One end shaped to be moved by the rail in the driving of the spike and its other end shaped to penetrate the tie.

2. In combination a rail spike having a rib" formed approximately one-half the length of the shank of the spike and an anchoring element having swinging connection with the rib and consisting of tie penetrating portion, and a head portion engaging the tread of the rail in the driving of the spike to force the penetrating portion into the tie.

3. In combination a rail spike having a rib -formed thereon extending approximately one-half the length of the shank of the spike, an anchoring element consisting of a head portion arranged under the head of the spike and having a cam surface for engagement with the tread of a rail, a lug projecting from the element to have a swinging connecti'on with the rib, said element being further provided with a shank normally lying parallel tothc shank of the spike provided with a penetrating point to be forced into the tie in' the eo-action of the cam surface with the tread of the rail.

a In combination a rail spike having a shank shaped to provide a rib extendin ap proximately one-haltthe length of the s ank and terminating in a convex seat centrally 

